Resend Alternative for Indie Hackers and Startups

Resend has gained popularity among developers for its clean API and developer experience. But for indie hackers running multiple projects, there are limitations worth considering.

Let's explore what makes a great Resend alternative and which options work best for indie hackers and startups.

Why Indie Hackers Look for Resend Alternatives

Multiple Projects Problem

Most email providers, including Resend, limit domains on lower-tier plans. If you're an indie hacker experimenting with multiple products, this becomes a blocker.

You launch Product A with verified email delivery. Then you want to launch Product B. With per-domain limits, you have to:

• Pay for a higher tier
• Remove Product A's domain
• Use hacky subdomain workarounds

None of these options are ideal.

Budget Constraints

Indie hackers often operate on tight budgets. Paying $30-100/month for email infrastructure eats into your runway before you've even validated the product.

Simplicity Over Features

Most indie projects don't need marketing automation, audience segmentation, or campaign management. We just need to send transactional emails reliably.

What Indie Hackers Need

Based on our experience and feedback from hundreds of indie hackers, here's what matters:

1. Unlimited domains — No per-domain fees
2. Pay-per-email — Only pay for what you send
3. Free tier — Testing shouldn't cost money
4. Quick integration — Under 10 minutes
5. Reliable delivery — Emails must reach inbox
6. No contracts — Cancel anytime

SimpleEmailAPI: Built for Indie Hackers

I built SimpleEmailAPI because I faced the same frustrations. As an indie hacker with multiple side projects, I was tired of:

• Paying per domain
• Killing email for old projects to launch new ones
• Complex pricing structures

Unlimited Domains

Add as many domains as you need. Running 10 side projects? Add 10 domains. No extra cost.

True Pay-Per-Email

Only pay for emails you actually send:

• Free tier: 1,000 emails/month
• Paid: $0.25 per 1,000 emails

No minimum spend. No monthly commitment.

10-Minute Integration

import { createClient } from 'simpleemailapi-sdk'

const client = createClient({ apiKey: 'sea_live_...' })

// That's really all you need
await client.send({
  from: 'hello@myproject.com',
  to: ['user@example.com'],
  subject: 'Welcome!',
  body: 'Thanks for signing up!'
})

Handle Inbound Emails Too

Building a helpdesk? Customer support tool? Process incoming emails easily:

client.onReceive({
  onReplied: (email) => {
    // Handle customer replies
    createTicket(email.from, email.body)
  }
})

Comparison: SimpleEmailAPI vs Resend

Real Talk: When to Use Resend

Resend is a great product. Choose Resend if you:

• Only have one project
• Prefer React Email integration
• Need their specific feature set

Choose SimpleEmailAPI if you:

• Run multiple projects
• Want unlimited domains
• Care about privacy (no email storage)
• Need inbound email processing
• Want lower per-email costs

Migration is Easy

Switching from Resend takes about 15 minutes:

1. Sign up for SimpleEmailAPI
2. Add and verify your domains
3. Update your API calls (similar structure)
4. Update DNS records

The API is intentionally similar to make migration straightforward.

Conclusion

As an indie hacker, your email infrastructure should support your workflow, not constrain it. Look for providers that:

• Don't charge per domain
• Offer pay-per-email pricing
• Get out of your way

SimpleEmailAPI was built by an indie hacker, for indie hackers. We understand the multi-project lifestyle and priced accordingly.

Try the free tier with unlimited domains — no credit card required.